While Alberts is far from a high-end defenseman, the Canucks defense corps has been racked by injuries all season long. Joe points out that Yann Sauve will be the 12th defenseman the team used in 2010-11.

Despite these issues, the Canucks are the top-ranked team in the NHL. They seem pretty safe to win the Northwest Division barring a stunning collapse, so perhaps the focus should be on getting as many defenders healthy and in sync by the team the playoffs begin in April.